Wallowa County Soroptimists seek applicants for Live Your Dream: Education and Training Awards for women
By Shannon Weidemann (McKone) on Wednesday, September 9th, 2026 in Northeastern Oregon News Northeastern Oregon Top Stories
WALLOWA COUNTY – (Release provided by Wallowa County Soroptimist) The Soroptimist Live Your Dream: Education and Training Awards for Women program is now open for applications! Women who serve as their family’s primary wage earners and seek financial assistance to continue their education or receive training are eligible for this program. A writable PDF is available only online at Soroptimist International/Live Your Dreams Award or www.soroptimist.org (Our Programs/Live Your Dreams/Application Instructions). Applications must be submitted ONLINE by November 15th.
Direct application questions to Gail Johnson, 541-602-2051 (gjohnson@eoni.com).
The Wallowa County Soroptimist club will provide two $1,000 to $2,000 cash grant to its award recipient. The top recipient will then advance to the Soroptimist Region level where one recipient will receive $5,000. The program culminates with three finalist $10,000 awards. In 2015, the Wallowa County recipient received a $3,000 award at the Region level.
Recipients can use the Live Your Dream Award to offset costs associated with their efforts to attain higher education or additional skills and training. This includes tuition, books, childcare, carfare or any other education-related expense.
The Live Your Dream Award provides more than $1.6 million in cash grants to head-of-household women in need each year. Since the program’s inception in 1972, approximately $30 million has helped tens of thousands of women achieve their dreams of a better life for themselves and their families. It improves the recipients’ quality of life; builds their confidence, strengthens their self-determination; and makes them want to, in turn, help others. Helping women in this way has the demonstrated effect of leading to stronger communities, nations and the world.
Soroptimist International of Wallowa County is a volunteer organization for business and professional women dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls, in local communities and throughout the world. The Wallowa County Soroptimist club was founded in 1947, and is part of Soroptimist International of the Americas, where almost 80,000 Soroptimists in about 120 countries and territories contribute time and financial support to community-based projects that benefit women and girls. In addition to participating in the Live Your Dream Awards program, Soroptimist International of Wallowa County helps a large number of local students, women and groups from proceeds of their Thrift Shop. For more information about how Soroptimist improves the lives of women and girls.
